Airbag housing and cover

ABSTRACT

An airbag arrangement comprising: an airbag; a housing ( 1 ), formed of plastics material, for containing the airbag in a deflated, folded condition; a cover ( 5 ), formed of flexible material, and attached to the airbag housing ( 1 ) by a seal around a substantial portion of the periphery of the housing ( 1 ). The seal may be by heat or pressure sensitive glue, by ultrasonic or vibration welding or by deformable lugs ( 9 ). This arrangement is cheaper to produce and quicker to assemble, and has the advantage of being generally tamper-proof, since any tampering with the package will be immediately evident from detachment of the cover or tears therein.

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing and cover for anairbag for a vehicle safety restraint.

[0002] Traditionally a safety restraint airbag is contained in itsuninflated state in a metal housing mounted to a fixed part of thevehicle such as the steering wheel (driver side airbags) or theinstrument panel (passenger side). The folded airbag is protected fromthe ingress of dirt or dust by a dust cover. When the airbag deploys ina crash situation, the dust cover splits and a door in the instrumentpanel or steering wheel either detaches, or splits open quickly, andwithout forming debris which could form dangerous projectiles and injurethe vehicle occupant.

[0003] Commonly the dust cover is formed of a thin, flexible materialsuch as non-woven fabric or a woven polyamide or polyester orpolyethylene material and the door is made of rigid material.

[0004] According to the present invention there is provided an airbagarrangement comprising

[0005] an airbag;

[0006] a housing, formed of plastics material, for containing the airbagin a deflated, folded condition;

[0007] a dust cover, formed of thin and flexible material, and attachedto the airbag housing by a seal around a substantial portion of the topedge periphery of the housing, wherein the thin and flexible materialforming the cover is sealed to the housing by ultrasonic weldingoverprinted with warning messages and/or with information texts and/orwith bar codes and/or with trade mark material.

[0008] This arrangement is cheaper to produce and quicker to assemble,and has the advantage of being generally tamper-proof, since anytampering with the package will be immediately evident from detachmentof the cover or tears therein.

[0009] For a better understanding of the present invention and to showhow the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made tothe accompanying drawings which are given by way of example:

[0010]FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part A of FIG. 1;

[0012]FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part A of FIG. 3;

[0014] In FIG. 1 an airbag housing 1 is formed of plastics material. Itforms a container for an airbag inflator 2 (which may be a gas cylinderor a pyrotechnic type inflator will known to persons skilled in theart). An uninflated airbag cushion 3 is folded on top of the inflator 2.

[0015] A dust cover 5 is welded around a substantial part of theperipheral flange 6 of the airbag housing 1 as indicated at 7. Thewelding is ultrasonic welding.

[0016] The dust cover 5 may additionally be attached to the plasticsairbag housing 1 by heat treatment or along at least a substantial partof the peripheral line at which it contacts the housing flange 6.

[0017]FIG. 2 illustrates in more detail the lines 8 along which the heattreatment or welding is applied.

[0018] In FIG. 3 heat formed joining lugs 9 are formed as upstandingpintype features on the housing 1. These lugs are formed as simplestalks as shown in FIG. 4, and are pushed through holes around theperiphery of the cover and locally heat treated to form heads 9 as shownin FIG. 3, and to retain the cover. Ultrasonic treatment could also beused.

1. An airbag arrangement comprising an airbag; a housing, formed of plastics material, for containing the airbag in a deflated, folded condition; a dust cover, formed of thin and flexible material, and attached to the airbag housing by a seal around a substantial portion of the top edge periphery of the housing, wherein the thin and flexible material forming the cover is sealed to the housing by ultrasonic welding overprinted with warning messages and/or with information texts and/or with bar codes and/or with trade mark material.
 2. An airbag arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising deformable pin members formed integrally with either the airbag housing or the cover.
 3. An airbag arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the deformable pin members comprise joining lugs (9) formed as upstanding pin type stalks around the periphery of the housing (1) and holes are provided around the periphery of the cover to receive the lugs (9).
 4. An airbag arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the lugs (9) are subsequently locally heat or ultrasonically treated to form heads to retain the cover. 